Curtain top construction



Feb. 25, 1947. E, L P5W 2,416,448

CU RTAIN TOP CONSTRUCTION 4 Filed April 23, 1946 INVENTOR ATTORNEYPatented Feb. 25, 1947 Edward Lepow,

Home Curtain New York, N. Y., assignor to Corporation,

Far Rockaway,

N. 1., a corporation of New York Application April 23, 1946, Serial No.664,291

3 Claims. 1

This invention relates generally to curtains and window coverings andmore particularly to construction for the production of a preformedshirring in the curtain as hung on a rod or similar support therefor.

In curtains of the general type with which the present invention isconcerned, they are usually formed of a large panel of relatively lightmaterial and at an uppermost portion thereof they are provided with arod passage and a heading located above the rod passage. The upperportion of the curtain is frequently made by interconnecting thepreformed bands with a plurality of rows of stitches. Thus, for example,the heading and the ruflles may each be independently prepared andfinally these are connected to the body of the curtain. In order tofacilitate the interconnection of these parts additional folding hasbeen resorted to so that a great number of layers has occurred at thepoints of stitching with a consequent stiffness and bulkiness. Suchconstructions have considerably increased the cost of the finishedcurtain because of the increased labor due to the several independentoperations required, the greater amount of machine time consumed,additional cutting operations, and the rolling and storage of thebandlike members before integration.

It is, therefore, among the principal objects of the present inventionto provide improved construction over the prior art in which themanufacturing and structure i simplified and the cost thereof is therebyreduced.

A shirred appearance in the upper part of the curtain is desired, as asuperior esthetic effect is produced by fullness in the portions of thecurtain at and adjacent its red support. In order to obtain this fullyshirred effect, the consumer frequently purchases a curtain which is ofextra width for a given window or other building opening. This resultsin increased cost. Another ob- J'ect of the present invention,therefore, lies in the provision of curtainstructure which affords anincreased effect of fullness in the upper portions thereof withoutunduly increasing the total yardage of the curtain.

A feature of the invention lies in the fact that even when the panel ofthe curtain is completely extended into a planar condition a Shirredeffect and appearance is produced forwardly of the curtain rod and thiseffect extends into the ruffle lying below the rod passage. When thecurtain panel is gathered laterally, as is the case When the curtainpanel is fitted to a window or building opening which is of less widththan itself,

the shirring produced by the present invention is added to suchadditional shirring as occurs by the contraction of the material formingthe rod passage.

Another object herein lies in the provision of curtain structure inwhich the forward wall of the rod passage is formed by an integralupward extension of the rufile element.

These objects and other incidental ends and advantages will morefullyappear in the progress of this disclosure and be pointed out in theappended claims.

In the drawings in which similar reference characters designatecorresponding parts throughout the several views:

Figure 1 is a front elevational view of an embodiment of the inventionas supported upon a rod and with the main curtain panel in a fullyextended or planar condition.

Figure 2 is a front elevational view correspondinggenerally to Figure 1but showing the curtain as laterally contracted to accommodate a smallerwindow or building opening.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary view in perspective, the thickness of some ofthe parts being exaggerated for clarity, of the upper right hand cornerof the curtain seen in Figure 1.

Figure 4 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional View as seen from theplane 4-4 on Figure 3.

In accordance with the invention the curtain generally indicated byreference character ID includes broadly a main curtain panel element Hand a band element l2.

The panel element II is preferably of rectangular shape including thevertical edges l3 and M, a bottom edge l5 and a top edge IS. Theuppermost portion of the curtain panel ll, inwardly of the top edge i6is folded forwardly about itself along the fold l1 which forms the upperedge l8 of the curtain Ill. The rear portion I9 and the front portion2|, togetherwithv the fold l'l form the heading 2!]. The distance,upwardly, from the edge It at whichthe fold I1 is located will determinegenerally the height of the heading 20.

The band element I! may be of any suitable width as since the bandelement is integrated with the curtain transversely thereof its widthdetermines the effective height of the rufile member 22 and the frontwall of the rod carrying passage. The length of the band element willdepend upon the degree of shirring which it is desired shall exist withrespect to the panel element II. I have found, for examplathatwhere thelength of the band element I2 is one and one 'the shirring band elementcauses a gathered effect in the upshown, and described for obvious halftimes the size of the width of the panel elefment, that a desirableconstruction results. The front wall of the rod carrying passage 22 isindicated by reference character 23.

The lower edge 24 of the band element l2 may be treated in any suitablefashion to avoid the raveling thereof as for example by forming thesimple hem 25 which may be secured by the row of stitches 26. The upperedge 27 of the band element l2 folded first upwardly and then downwardlyand rearwardly upon itself about the fold 28.

I With the parts in their previously folded conditions as described, andsuperposing each other as seen in Figure 3 of the accompanying drawing,the upper and lower rows of stitches 29 and 30 are put in place. The rowof stitches 29 penetrates a plurality of layers of fabric while the rowof stitches 30 penetrates the band element thereat and the curtain'panelelement. In coninecting the band element to thepanel element, the bandelement after the hem 25 has been put in place and after the told 28 hasbeen formed, said band element is caused to pass through a Iwell knownpleating device, not shown, to produce the shirring which is secured bythe rows of 1 stitches 29 and 30. v

In use the rod 3! is easily passed through the rod passage 22 and owingto the fact that the lateral or vertical edges of the band element arenot folded upon themselves the rod does not have a tendency to catchtherein as isthe case with prior art constructions. struction the edges32 and 33 may be stitched 1 with a covering stitch so as In the presentconto prevent any tendl a. band element having upper and lower edges andbeing disposed forwardly of the curtain panel as hung; the upper edge ofthe band element being securedby first means which penetrate said upperedge of the band element, the upper edge of the curtain panel element,and the rear ply of the curtain panel thereat; the lower edge of theband -ency of the band element to ravel but a hem I 3 with a full foldededge is not necessary.

It may thus be seen that I have provided a novel and useful curtainconstruction wherein produced in the upper portion of the per portion ofthe ruflle member, and in the forward wall'of the rod carrying passage.Numerous economies flow from the fact that the major integratingoperations in the fabrication of the upper portion of the curtain areproduced by two spaced rows of "stitches which may be simultaneouslyapplied. 'Since the folds I? and 28 may be obtained by the use ofhemmers, the application of the precut band element to the upper edge ofthe curtain panel element produces substantially together with the rodcarrying passage. In addition to a saving in fabricating operations,there is also a saving of yardage. By virtue of the preformed shirringin the finished curtain, laundering and pressing operations arefacilitated and a desirable uniformly shirred effect is obtained whenthe curtain is placed upon the rod, even when the user has no particularskill.

I wish it to be understood that I do not desire to'be, limited to theexact details of construction modifications will occur to a personskilled in the art.

I claim:

*1. Curtain construction comprising: a main panel having an upper freeedge. said panel being folded upon itselfadjacent the upper free edge,said fold forming the upper edge of said curtain;

the entire curtain heading and ruffle element being secured by secondmeans which penetrate said lower edge of the band element and thecurtain panel element; said first and second means being spaced adistance sufiicient to form a rod carrying passage, said band elementextending below said second means to form a rufile.

2. Curtain construction comprising: a main panel having an upper freeedge, said panel being folded upon itself adjacent the upper free edge,said fold forming the upper edge of said curtain; a band element ofgreater width than the width of the curtain panel element having upperand lower edges and being disposed forwardly of the curtain panel ashung; the upper portion of the band element being gathered; the upperedge of the band element being secured by first means which penetratesaid upper edge of the band element, the upper edge of the curtain panelelement, and the rear ply of the curtain panel thereat; the lower edgeof the band element being secured by second means which penerate saidlower edge of the band element and the curtain panel element; said firstand second means being spaced a distance sufficient to form a rodcarrying passage, said band element extending below said second means toform a ruffle.

3. Curtain construction comprising: a curtain panel element the upperfree edge of which is folded upon itself to form an upper curtain edge;an elongated band element of greater length than the width of thecurtain panel; a plurality of vertically arranged pleats transverselydisposed with respect to the band element and arranged in a row at andadjacent the upper longitudinal edge of said band element and parallelto the upper edge of the curtain; a plurality of rows of stitches,transversely and horizontally arranged with respect to said curtain, theupper row of said stitches penetrating the upper edge of said bandelement and through both plies of the fold at the upper portion of thecurtain panel element; the lower row of said stitches being spaced belowthe upper row a distance sufficient to form a rod carrying passage andpenetrating said band element and said curtain panel element; said lowerrow of stitches being spaced a substantial distance from the lower freeedge of the band element whereby the lower portion of the band elementforms a ruflie and the upper portion of the band element forms apregathered front wall of the rod carrying passage.

EDWARD LEPOW.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

18,132 British Aug.23, 1893

